Hilton Magic

Looking at what they did tonight and during the exhibiton games I really have to think that this guard group of Stinson, Blalock, and Carr is definitely comparable to the elite eight group of Tinsley, Nurse, and Horton. Stinson absolutley controlled the game. He scored any time he wanted to and dished out a lot of assists. Basically, the team will be running two point guards for most of the game which is a big advantage. I'm also really happy about the range that Homan showed. He wasn't afraid to knock down any shots from outside whether he had somebody close or not. We still got outrebounded which is a little bit of a concern for me but I think it's something that can be taken care of. This wasn't a bad Drake team and the Cyclones never let them in the game which is exactly what a tournament team should do. My player of the game has to be Stinson with his 17 points and 12 assists but I feel great about everybody that played tonight.

One of the things that I'm most pleased about it our defensive intensity. It was exactly the level we needed throughout the first half and most of the second. Morgan's zone can really help this team out in the conference if everyone is active and knows their role. They looked in midseason form already. With Mizzou getting their ass kicked by Creighton tonight and some other scores from recent weeks I think that the Cyclones have a great shot at 4th in the league or maybe even better. I'd feel ok with 5th but it seems like this team will improve so much over the next few months. Things are looking good.